What Are You Doing, New Year's Eve?
by Merl Laurence
Summary: A continuation piece to the fourth vignette of my fic "Mistletoe", picking up a little later on from where I left Steve and Kono.  So, please, you should read that fic first if you haven't yet.


What Are You Doing, New Year's Eve?

Disclaimer: I don't own H50 (If it sounds like a mantra, it's because it is. Otherwise, I'd do more of what I want with Steve and Kono.)  
>Spoilers: Ep. 2:4, Mea Makamae – to know who Dr. Gabrielle (Gabi) Asano is and Ep. 2:12, Alaheo Pau'ole – just a minor reference to Chin and Malia being married.<br>Summary: A continuation piece to the fourth vignette of _Mistletoe_, picking up a little later on from where I left Steve and Kono. (So, please, you should read that fic first if you haven't yet.)

A/N: Thanks to those who read and reviewed/commented on _Mistletoe_. Tiny (microscopic, really) bit of language in this one. Also, I apologize if I've been behind on my PM and reviews/responses, I hope to catch up this coming week.

A/N 2: I hope everyone's holiday season has been wonderful and filled with love, happiness and lots and lots of great things. Best wishes to all my readers and faithful reviewers for a blessed New Year!

# # #

Five-0 Headquarters  
>Honolulu<p>

"Hey. Hey Kono – you uh, you never called – to let me know," Steve said, smirking as he exited his office to catch Kono on her way to the break-room. He finally had her alone, after Lori and Danny pulled lunch duty and left to get them all some food. Steve had a burning question on his mind for days now, that he needed an answer to.

Kono arched a brow and stopped to look back at him. She had been acting distant lately, ever since the night Danny had cornered the two of them under the mistletoe in headquarters. And Steve was convinced, and admittedly a little disappointed, that she was only behaving that way – with him.

Because on the one hand, with Danny, as far as he could see, she was her usual self – warm and kid-sister-like – teasing and joking around with him constantly. And then with Lori, she was downright effusive, although seeming a little forced in Steve's view. He couldn't confirm her behavior with Chin because the older man was still away on his honeymoon with Malia on the Big Island.

Which left him to wonder, just what the hell had he done, to cause her to be so stand-offish all of a sudden?

"About what?" Kono asked, drawing Steve from his speculation.

Steve smiled a little. "About your gum."

Kono rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You were uhm, a little busy that night, I believe," she responded.

"Oh?" Steve asked back, furrowing his brow slightly. Thinking back to the night of their Christmas party, for the life of him, he couldn't recall what she could have been referring to. "I was?" he added, hoping that she would reveal some detail that would give him a clue.

"You don't remember?" Kono asked, arching a brow, clearly surprised and a little skeptical.

Steve shrugged and shook his head. He honestly couldn't. All he knew, was that he kept waiting for _her. _He watched as she shifted her weight from foot to foot.

Kono took a breath. "Lori."

"Lori, what?" Steve asked, his brows creasing more in confusion.

Kono shook her head again. "She was a little drunk," she stated, now staring back at Steve, almost as if willing him to continue.

Steve stared blankly back at Kono. Yes. Lori was buzzed, in fact, they all were. It was their office Christmas party – everyone gets drunk at office holiday parties, that's why you have them. Besides, there was nothing that he remembered, odd, about Lori's behavior. But clearly, Kono had.

Or – maybe _he_ did something inadvertently that caused Kono to think otherwise?

She huffed and crossed her arms across her front. "Lori was all over you, Steve," Kono finally said.

He couldn't help his perplexity.

"You're pretty dense, boss," Kono said, smirking. "But it's cool."

"Whoa, wait. What – I took her home," he said defensively.

Kono snorted this time. "Oh, I bet you did," she said, making a move to leave their offices instead of just heading towards the break-room.

"Hey! Wait, no, that's – that's not what happened," Steve said, jutting his hands out for emphasis and effectively blocking her from all together leaving.

She stopped mid stride, and again, Kono found herself shaking her head. She actually laughed, too. "It's okay, Steve, really."

"I took her home, put her to bed and came back to the party and then you were gone," Steve said, hoping he didn't sound so desperate to clear his alibi for that night.

This time, both of Kono's brows went up.

Frankly, Steve couldn't believe that he cared so much what she thought.

Moreover, he couldn't believe she was carrying on in this way. Steve eyed Kono curiously. "Hang on, just – wait. Are you jealous?" he asked suddenly, unable to suppress a grin.

Kono clicked her tongue and waved a hand dismissively. "Please," she said, rolling her eyes again. "I don't get jealous brah, I move on," she responded decisively, turning and exiting before Steve even had a chance to formulate a response in his head.

Steve stood there and swallowed, realization kicking in.

_No. _

_Fucking. _

_Way._

He all out grinned, because he never, seriously – ever – considered that Kono would actually like him more or as much as she just unintentionally admitted. It was over-confident of him to assume, simply by her actions alone, but after all that they had been through together, he was pretty certain.

Steve snorted softly to himself. If it weren't for Danny and his mistletoe...

# # #

Lt. Commander McGarrett's House  
>Oahu<p>

Steve found himself beaming at the crowd within his living-room. It was New Year's Eve and he had invited his team and friends over for some food, drink and a view of the fireworks that could be seen in Waikiki from his backyard.

It had been quite a year for all of them, to say the least. He moved off to look out the lanai doors at the darkening Pacific and thought of the events that occurred this past year and counted his blessings. There were so many close calls and 'could-haves', he was just thankful that the people that mattered the most where scattered throughout his home, ready to welcome the coming year with him.

Turning back to everyone, he saw Danny and Gabi, tucked discreetly away beneath the shadow of the stairs. Chin and Malia, having just flown back from their honeymoon, sat on his sofa talking with Kamekona, and Lori and Max sat closely together on his ottoman, listening in on the couple's trip as well.

He let their laughter and the music that Kamekona picked, wash over him but found himself zeroing in on one person in particular.

Kono stood next to the kitchen, talking with Charlie... still. From the moment Charlie arrived, he had monopolized Kono's attention and they had been at it for quite some time now.

Steve caught Kono's eye and she smiled, all warm and sweet and he couldn't help himself from smiling back. He arched a brow and she rolled her eyes as she turned her back on him to continue talking with Charlie.

He chuckled to himself, only partially surprised at his actions after watching her and turned towards the lanai doors again to open them. Getting some help from Kamekona, Steve set up additional lawn chairs next to the Adirondacks and the both of them ushered the rest of the party goers out into the warm, tropical, night air. It was a quarter to mid-night and scanning his group of friends, he noticed someone missing.

Strains of Harry Connick Jr.'s _What are you doing, New Year's Eve?, _filled the house as Steve headed back in, searching. When he saw no one but the front door ajar, he realized that he actually felt a little bummed. Moving towards the door he pulled it open just in time to see Charlie's car reversing out of his blackened driveway and then driving off. Steve dropped his shoulders and leaned against the door-frame.

"Looking for someone, boss?"

The disembodied question seemed to come out of the darkness until Kono stepped up onto the porch. Her beautiful, tan, island features illuminated by the spot of light pouring out from his living-room.

"Yeah," Steve answered, blatantly appearing relieved. "You."

Kono studied him. "Me?" she asked.

Steve straightened and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Yeah. I just – I thought maybe that you left – with Charlie," Steve admitted, gesturing towards the driveway with his chin.

Her eyes crinkled in the corners. "Charlie?" Kono asked, suddenly laughing. "Why?"

"I just thought, you know – since you were talking with him all night," Steve explained, quirking a brow.

She smiled slightly and nodded. "Oh. Kind of like how you spent all night at the Christmas party with Lori?" Kono asked back, appearing embarrassed.

"Hmm, yeah, yeah I guess," he said chuckling. He gave her a crooked smile and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Steve," Kono said, her smile tender and filled with fondness.

Steve gazed at her and inclined his head. "About?'

Kono shrugged. "You were right. I was jealous," she admitted easily.

Steve seemed to visibly relax, but pulled his hands out of his pockets to cross his arms in front of his chest anyway, suppressing another smile. "Mm-hmm."

She shook her head and shifted her weight to one foot, placing a hand on her hip. "Brah, please," Kono said, rolling her eyes.

Steve chuckled softly and looked towards the ground before looking back up again and in to her brown pools. He followed his gut and wisely remained silent.

Kono continued to watch him before sighing exasperatedly. "Really? You don't have to be so damn smug about it," she said, clearly struggling to not laugh too, at how silly the situation had become.

Steve, on the other hand, all out laughed this time. "I'm not, I swear," he said raising his hands up defensively, unable to help his grin. "It's pretty obvious I was jealous of Charlie too, huh?" he asked.

Kono stared back at him, her eyes sparkling and smile growing brighter. She nodded. "Mm-hmm."

They heard Kamekona say that there were two more minutes, but neither bothered moving to join the rest of the group.

"So what do we do, about it?" he asked her, never taking his eyes off of her.

Kono shrugged again. "I've always believed, that whatever you're doing on New Year's Eve, it's what your next year will be filled with," Kono said.

Steve nodded and smirked. "Huh. I never figured you'd be superstitious, Kono," he said as he stepped closer to her.

Kono didn't move, in fact, Steve was sure she stepped towards him too. She smiled again and this time it was the dimpled one, the one that he found he liked the most, because her eyes seemed to dance even more when she did so.

"So Steve, what are you doing New Year's Eve?" she asked, arching a brow and in a way challenging him.

Steve grinned, clearly already having a plan. They heard the group on the other side of the home chant the start of a count-down and he raised a hand up to brush a stray lock of hair away from her brow, his hand hovering just briefly.

"_Ten..._

_Nine..."_

He reached out and boldly tugged Kono closer, wrapping his arms around her waist securely and holding on to her as his eyes dropped to focus on her lips.

"_Eight..._

_Seven..._

_Six..."_

"Steve?" Kono asked, as she smiled back at him, settling in his arms, clearly not even attempting to pull away and losing herself in his gaze.

"_Five..._

_Four..._

_Three..."_

"This," he said, as he dipped his head to kiss her. Kono kissed him back, deepening the kiss and reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck to pull him in tighter.

"_Two..._

_One..."_

"_Happy New Year!" " Hauoli Maka Hiki Hou!"_

End.

# # #

A/N: Yes! So I survived the holidays. I can safely say that because work is doing nothing to celebrate the coming of the New Year except maybe to give my tired butt the night off – you hear me Universe? You make sure that happens, yeah? Anyway, I'd love for things to go my way for once, if only to be able to have the time to write more fanfic. Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it!

Hauoli Maka Hiki Hou (pronounced: how-oh-lee mah-kah hee-kee ho) - Happy New Year


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